


Seven Nights at Junes

by BusyBizzy



Category: Persona 4
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Five Nights at Freddy's, Crossover, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-27
Updated: 2018-08-01
Packaged: 2019-05-29 04:40:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,426
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15065318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BusyBizzy/pseuds/BusyBizzy
Summary: Narukami Yu was sent to Inaba for a year to live with his uncle and cousin while his parents were away. During his time there, he quickly found out about a family owned restaurant called Junes Family Diner, or Junes for short, and about the seven teens who all went missing one night in February. During the summer break, he takes up the part time job as the night guard, hoping to learn more about the place. He gets more than he expected.





	1. Night 1

Narukami Yu stood in front of Junes: Family Diner- the family owned restaurant that every young child loved, including his little cousin. He sighed, waving at his Uncle who he would see again in six hours. His Uncle, Ryotaro Dojima, waved back, and drove away, having to work at the station again that night. Yu looked again at the building, lights still on, and then at his watch. It was quarter to twelve, midnight. Mustering up all his courage, he stepped towards his new job. It was only supposed to last for a week, and, even though he was still underage, it was summer, and they’d gotten his guardian’s permission to hire him. They were desperate.

        As soon as he stepped through the front doors, he felt a chill run down his spine. He was being watched.

        “Hello?” He called out. There was supposed to be someone else here to show him the ropes. Coughing could be heard down the hall to the right. Pretty soon, a man rounded the corner, a cigar in his mouth, and bags under his eyes. Yu knew him, that’s right, it was another detective. Someone his Uncle worked with and brought over sometimes. “Adachi-san?”

        “Oh, so it’s you they hired?” He asked, taking another drag from his cigar. He puffed out the smoke, looking a bit annoyed. “Must be desperate. Follow me.” He said, gesturing. Yu followed him down the dimly lit hall. He brought him to a small office near two emergency exits. The office had two entrances, a rusty fan, some monitors that looked a bit outdated, and a tablet on a desk. The chair looked worn, and the computer that sat next to the monitors and tablet was an older model.

        “Okay, so, you just have to check on the animatronics once in a while, and make sure no one sneaks in on you. If something happens, or someone wanders in, these doors can shut with a push of a button.” He demonstrated, sounding bored. “The animatronics tend to wander a bit too, but they’re basically harmless.” He looked at Yu with narrowed eyes. “That game that people talk about, about the murderous animatronics?” He scoffed. “It’s a game. It’s not going to happen, so don’t worry kid.” Adachi clapped Yu on the shoulder and then pointed at the monitors. “You can switch the feed using the Tablet. That Computer will display how much of the power you use throughout the night. Be careful not to use it all.” Yu looked at him, alarmed. He had a limited supply of power that was supposed to last him six hours? Adachi sighed, stretching his back, and then huffing out a breath. With another drag of the Cigar, he looked at the clock and smirked.

        “Okay kid, my time has come to clock out. Good luck.” And he left before Yu could say anything. He sat in the chair, using the monitors to look at the animatronics. On the main stage, there were four animals. A blue Penguin in a tie, but defined eyelashes, a plaid hat upon its’ head and a piano in front of it; a white rabbit in a frilly pink outfit, in front of the Mic; a black bear sitting at the drum-set, wearing a scarf of yellow; and an orange dog, a guitar on a stand in front of it. Yu switched the feed, finding another animatronic, a green bird with a bib on that read ‘Ready to Eat!’, near the kitchen. He didn’t find that strange. He then looked at another feed and saw a cage. Inside, there was a red bird, more flamboyant than the other bird, but it somehow looked sad to Yu.

        He sighed and sat back, looking at the time. 12:00. Movement caught his eye as his thoughts just said ‘let’s get this over with’. His eyes found the monitor that had caught the movement, and saw, to his dismay that one of the ones on the main stage had moved. He switched the caged bird feed to other feeds, trying to find it. It was among the tables, and still moving. He felt his breath quicken as he realized that it was coming towards him. He had to fight the urge to immediately close the door. If that game had taught him anything, it was to wait and conserve power. He held his breath when the orange dog poked its head into the room.

        Yu stared at it wide eyed, as it was no longer an animatronic. It was a human, a teenage boy about his age. They stared at each other for a moment before something even more surprising happened.

        “You’re the new night guard huh? Why didn’t you close the door? That’s what they usually do when they see me coming.” The teen said. Yu blinked at him, looked at the feed, and saw that where the teen was standing, the camera picked it up as the Orange dog. Alarmed, Yu looked at him again.

        “You’re…” Yu looked for some words. The teen didn’t smile.

        “I guess all you see is a machine.” He said sadly. Yu shook his head.

        “I see you, here, in front of me, as a teenage boy, such as myself. But on- on the camera, you’re the animatronic.” He explained, hurriedly. The boys’ eyes lit up. He grinned and looked down the corridor back towards the stage area.

        “Oi! Chie! Come’ere.” He shouted. Yu watched as the green bird walked towards him, with surprisingly human like movements. Soon, he saw a teenage girl in a green sweater.

        “’Sup Yosuke? Having trouble with the new guy?” She asked the boy, cracking her knuckles. The boy- probably Yosuke- shook his head, pointing at Yu, who was on the verge of a panic attack. He quickly looked at the time and power life. 12:20 am on 94% power.

        “Chie! He can see us! He can see me! Like, see my hair, my clothes. I’m not an animatronic!” He said. The girls’ eyes widened and looked at Yu who froze. Then she started celebrating with the boy, actually hugging him, which on the screen probably looked really weird. Yu decidedly didn’t look at the screen.

        “We have to wake the others! Get Teddie, I’ll get Yukiko. Then we’ll meet on the stage!” Chie said, and Yosuke nodded. They both took off, leaving Yu in a state which he should not be left alone in. He had to be dreaming. He gripped the edge of the desk, looking at the feeds of the main stage, and the cage. Yosuke, the orange dog animatronic on the screen, went somewhere without a camera. Chie, or the green bird, opened the Red bird’s cage, and they walked over to the main stage. Yu shook his head, this wasn’t real.

        “It’s a dream. I’m hallucinating. Don’t panic.” He was getting close to a panic attack. He probably would have been better off if he had just shut the door like the game had taught him. He took a few deep breaths and looked back at the camera, alarm pouring back into him as he watched seven animatronics walk towards his office.

        “You’ll see, he can see us for who we are! He can see through the curse!” It was that boy’s voice.  
        “With all due respect Yosuke-senpai, are you sure that he’s not mentally stable? Everyone else has yet to see through this. Why should this one be any different?”

        “Naoto’s got a point. We ain’t got a clue about this damned curse. Why should someone be able to see through it?”

        “Come on guys! Trust us!” That was the girls’ voice.

        “I’m willing to trust you Chie.”

        "I wonder if the new guy is hot, that would be a bonus!”

        “That’d be a beary good thing!”

        “Teddie, quit it with the bear jokes. I think you’re the only one taking this curse lightly.” That was the boy again. And then Yu watched as they came into his office, all teenagers. Normal looking teenagers. He scrambled back, almost falling out of his chair.

        “See, I told you. He looks white as a sheet.” That was Naoto, he was assuming. He wore a plaid hat, so he assumed it was the penguin.

        "Geez, Senpai, way to go with jumping the gun. He only sees us as the stupid machines.” That came from a gruff looking guy with bleach blonde hair, a yellow scarf around his neck. It was the drummer bear.

        “Aw… and he’s good looking too… Even if he has a bowl cut. Who even has those anymore?” This slightly offensive comment came from a girl with brown hair up in twin tails. She was pouting. She was probably the rabbit. She had on a bright pink frilly outfit and bright lipstick.

        “I still wanna hug him!” This was a blonde boy, who looked younger than the others, moved towards Yu.

        “Teddie don’t you dare!” The golden clad boy was grabbed by the collar and pulled back by Yosuke. Yu stood from his chair, not looking at the monitor, but instead the computer. It was 12:46am. He felt sick. Maybe he fell asleep. Or maybe he was dead. If he was, he hoped that Nanako and Dojima wouldn’t go bankrupt because of his parents.

        “Are you okay dude?” Yosuke asked him, as his knees started to give. Yu felt like throwing up. He had signed up for a normal guard job, thinking if it had been anything like that game, then he’d have an advantage. This was nothing like the game. This was… this wasn’t even reality. He heard the startled yelps as he felt a searing pain on the side of his head, and then a thud. Nothingness.

 

 

        Opening your eyes to see a boy wearing dog ears right in your face can really wake you up. Yu shouted, startled by the close proximity of the boy, sitting up, and successfully thwacking their heads together.

        “Ow!” Yosuke said, clutching his nose with both hands, looking at Yu like a wounded puppy. Yu rubbed his forehead. He looked at Yosuke, and felt a strange calm wash over him. “So, you’re not dead.” Yosuke said, after deeming his nose unbroken. “Definitely not dead.”

        “Sorry…” He apologized. Yosuke waved his hand.

        “S’okay, must’ve startled you. Everything I mean.” He looked sheepish. “Chie should be bringing you some food soon, she left just a minute ago. She was getting antsy, not doing anything.” He rubbed the back of his neck and Yu spun himself around to face him. He looked awkward, not meeting Yu’s eyes. He had a headband on with fake dog ears, and wore a fake tail. He wore an orange shirt, and his hair seemed dyed a lighter brown than what his roots showed.

        They sat there in awkward silence before Yu decided that he should just pretend that this was a normal teenager. He cleared his throat, and stuck out his hand.

        “I’m Narukami Yu.” He said, trying to smile. The other boy looked at him, startled. And then he started laughing, catching Yu off guard. He was laughing, his mouth stretched into a large grin. He seemed to be tearing up, but eventually he caught his breath. He took several deep breaths before he grabbed Yu’s hand. Yu was surprised to find that his hand was warm. He’d been expecting to come into contact with an animatronic hand but it wasn’t.

        “Hanamura Yosuke.” He said, formerly introducing himself. “Sorry, it’s just been months since anyone other than the others talked to me and looked at me like I was normal.” They let their hands fall back to their sides. Yu thought back to why his name sounded familiar. Yosuke seemed to know he was thinking about something. “Oh… uh, my parents run this place. My friends and I used to work here part time as servers and entertainers.” He smiled bitterly. “Until one night when we were hanging out here after closing hours, doing homework, or just chilling. I can’t remember much.” He clenched his fists.

        “Can you tell me what you remember?” Yu asked, curious. “I mean, if I can see you, I could probably help in some way.” He said, reasoning. Yosuke crossed his arms, sitting cross-legged. He seemed to be thinking, his brow was creased, and his eyes were narrowed at the ground.

        “What I remember… It was before ten pm. We were hanging out, I was picking on Kanji, and just over all having a good time. It was normal, good feelings all around. But then…” He seemed to furrow his brow even further. “Then… I heard someone call us over. It was a security guard, I think. He sometimes hung around us. I doubt he works here anymore.” He sounded bitter. “And I don’t remember much after that, except some flashes of light, and screams.” He sighed, letting his arms fall and shoulders relax. “I remember waking up to my mom sobbing. She hugged me, but I didn’t feel it. I couldn’t feel it.” He looked at his hands. “I didn’t know until she told me. I still looked normal to myself. And my friends looked normal. But I soon found that that wasn’t the case.” He looked like he was about to cry.

        “…” Yu didn’t say anything. He had no idea how to respond. “Did you feel my hand?” He asked instead. Yosuke looked at him startled, then looked down at his hand. He flexed his fingers and smiled.

        “Yeah actually.” Then he looked up at him, almost shyly. He looked like he wanted to ask him to put out his hand again. Yu smiled at him and held up his hand, like he was going to high five him. Yosuke hesitantly reached his hand out, placing it gently against Yu’s hand. It seemed Yosuke was reveling in the contact. He didn’t keep his hand still against Yu’s, but instead moved around his hand, tracing the lines, and entwining their finger at one point.

        “Your hand is warm.” Yu said softly, smiling at him. He was like a child, and his eyes were lit up.

        “Yours is too.” He seemed to remember that they were strangers, and made to pull his hand away. Yu kept hold of it. “I’m sorry, I haven’t had contact with anyone in… six months.” Yosuke mumbled, not resisting his hand. He didn’t sound very sorry, and his voice was breathy.

        “Hey, Yosuke, is he up yet?” Their hands fell apart, like if Chie had found them like that, it’d mean something it didn’t. Chie rounded the corner of the door and smiled at Yu, a server tray in hand. “Hey, I brought you some food.” She glared at Yosuke. “I didn’t make it, Naoto did.” Yosuke stuck out his tongue. Yu smiled at Chie and took the tray.

        “Thank you, Chie-san.” He said. Chie blushed, and waved her hand.

        “Chie is fine, and don’t worry about it. It’s the least I can do, it’s my job.” She said, sitting down with them. Yu looked at Yosuke, who looked down quickly. “So, how long have you been up?” She asked Yu. He looked at her and thought for a moment.

        “Not long. What time is it anyway?” He asked.

        “It’s after two am. Don’t worry, we kept watch around the building for you.” Yosuke said. Yu nodded, biting into the pizza. It was good pizza. “My folks only hire a night guard to protect us, no one really breaks in here.”

        “But when we move around, and come to check on the guard, sometimes offering food, they shut us out, with scared looks on their face.” Chie said, puffing out her cheeks. “Some even yell at us to stay away.”

        “We don’t want to scare them. That’s why when you saw me, and didn’t close the door, I was surprised.” Yosuke said, pointing at the monitors. “I can see the monitor displaying animatronics.” He sighed. “No wonder they’re always scared…” He grumbled.

        “I bet it has something to do with that American game. You know, the one about the electronics. What was it? Five nights at Johnny’s?” Chie put a hand to her chin, scrunched up, thinking.

        “Four nights at Frodo’s.” Yu told her. “I’ve played it.”

        “Is it scary enough to make people fear animatronics that much?” She asked. Yu nodded.

        “I almost closed the door on Yosuke, and almost had a panic attack when I saw you were humans.” He laughed lightly. He got up, finishing the pizza he’d been given. “I have to get back to work. I’d like to speak with everyone about what happened on the night you all got turned into those things.” He said, sitting in his chair, looking at the clock. It was 2:24am. He’d been passed out for more than an hour, and probably could have been in critical condition if he’d hit his head any harder on the way down. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

        “Alright, I’ll go get the others. Yosuke, you stay here.” Chie said, running out of the room. Yu didn’t look at the security cameras, deeming them unnecessary. It also conserved power, and Adachi had told him to do that. But why? If the power went out, he could just ride it out, right? He sighed and leaned back. Yosuke had stood and was standing behind him and to the side.

        “So, what’s everyone’s names?” Yu asked.

        “My stage name is Patchy, the orange Dog. Kujikawa Rise is the white rabbit named BonBon. She’s the main attraction. She sings during our performances. Shirogane Naoto is Peggy, the blue penguin. She plays piano.”

        “She?” Yu had thought that the penguin had been a boy.

        “Yeah. I know, I was confused at first too. She hides it too well. Anyway, then there’s Tatsumi Kanji, his name is Grizzly. He’s the drummer.”

        “And what do you play?” Yu spun his chair to look at Yosuke. He flushed and played with his ears.

        “Guitar.” He coughed awkwardly and went on. “Amagi Yukiko’s name is Cardinal, the red bird usually in the cage. She dances. Teddie, or my annoying adopted brother Theodore Hanamura, hosts birthday parties, or celebrations. He usually wears all golden colors. And lastly, Satonaka Chie, she’s the green bird named Chickie. She’s a waitress.”

        Yu had heard some of those names before. Kujikawa Rise was the name of the ever famous pop idol Risette who was on a hiatus. And Shirogane Naoto was the name of the famous young detective who was also taking a break from their work. Amagi Yukiko’s last name was familiar to Yu, something about an Inn in the town.

        “Come to think of it… my uncle said something about missing people when I came here. Told me not to out alone at night.” Yu said, putting a hand to his chin, tracing his bottom lip with his forefinger. Had Uncle Dojima not tied their job back to maybe being their reason for disappearance? Yu thought maybe it had been considered, or maybe the Hanamura’s had fiend ignorance. There had to have been something overlooked here.

        “So, you really can see us?” Yu turned to the door, quickly glancing at the clock. 2:40am. The person who had spoken had been Naoto, the one with a plaid hat. The rest of them were standing behind her and Chie, peering around them, either afraid of scaring him, or afraid he’d start yelling, or screaming.

        “Yes, that is correct.” Yu nodded, smiling at them. That seemed to be the action that let everyone relax. They came into the room, pulling in chairs they had brought from the main area and placing them in a semi-circle around Yu. Yu spun his chair to face them all, Yosuke on his closest right, next to Chie, then Yukiko, Rise in the middle, then Teddie, Kanji, and finally Naoto sat on his closest left. Naoto had this composed and calm look on her face, and her hands were folded in her lap. Kanji looked awkward, and so did Yukiko. Rise and Teddie kept whispering to each other while occasionally glancing at him. Chie and Yosuke looked at their group with awkward anticipation. Yu cleared his throat.

        “So, Yosuke-san has informed me of your issue. I would appreciate it if all of you told me what you remembered on the event of that night.” Yu said, cutting straight to the chase. He swore he could see daggers being shot at Yosuke. “I would like to see if I can help, seeing as I can see you all as your normal selves.” He said, gesturing with a hand. They all exchanged glances, and Naoto then sighed.

        “I assume Yosuke-senpai has already told you what he remembers. We were all staying late, half of us studying for upcoming exams, the other half goofing off as usual.” She stares pointedly at Teddie, Yosuke, and Rise in turn. “From what I remember, I heard Rise-chan scream. I had asked if anyone else had heard, and came up empty. So, I decided to check it out. Kanji-kun immediately got up and came with me, claiming it was too dangerous to go alone if it really was something.” She said, looking at Kanji who flushed.

        “Yukiko and I stayed where we were sitting, on the main stage. We huddled closer together when they’d left, and we tried to work.”

        “We couldn’t concentrate. We were both a little too freaked out by it. We decided to go after Naoto-kun and Kanji-kun.” Yukiko added to Chie’s input. “It was dark, and it seemed that the security guard hadn’t put the reserve power on for the night yet. We’d been doing work by battery powered stage lights.”

        “It was beary scary! Teddie stayed with Yosuke-nii, but Rise-chan got separated from us. We heard her scream and rushed over towards her.” Teddie input, shaking. Rise looked like she was on the verge of tears.

        “All I remember is seeing Teddie, Yosuke-senpai, and Rise-san on the ground, knocked out or somethin’.” Kanji said, running a hand through his hair. “I thought that Ted had just managed to knock them all out or somethin’ cause it wouldn’t be the first time he’d done that sorta thing.”

        “It wasn’t Teddie though. I remember seeing Rise sprawled on the ground, I felt like I was in a horror movie. The security guard had called us over, saying that he thought he’d saw someone else in here. I had taken a defensive pose, ready for someone to ambush us. Then Ted got hit, I heard him hit the ground. I didn’t turn around fast enough though, and next thing I knew I was waking up to my mom screaming.” Yosuke said. Rise started crying right then.

        “I was so scared! I got separated from Teddie and Yosuke-senpai, and I used my hand to guide myself. I heard footsteps behind me, and I called out, thinking it might have been one of my friends, but they didn’t respond. I started running, and they started running too. I ended up being cornered…” She pointed out into the hallway. “In the hall way right there.” She said, wiping her eyes. “I couldn’t see him very well, but for some reason the cameras were still showing feed, and the screens lit up enough of my attack that I could make out the security guard outfit.” She looked around at her friends. “I can’t remember his name…”

        There was a collective shake of heads signifying none of them remembered the night guard’s name.

        “He must have been fired though, right?” Chie asked Yosuke. He crossed his arms. “I don’t know. Maybe. I don’t see why my parents would keep him around if he attacked us.” He said. Yu put a hand to his chin. He quickly glanced behind him at the clock. It read 3:01 am. This information was helpful, and helped him draw a mind map in his head of their locations at certain times. He glanced at Naoto. She’d probably used this information to do the same exact thing, being the detective that Yu assumed she was. She probably assumed that he wouldn’t draw anything except what she had from this information.

        “Shirogane-san, you are a detective, correct?” He asked. She nodded, shooting another look at Yosuke.

        “I am an Ace Detective.” She said, as if she assumed he was looking down on her.

        “Can you tell me what you have come up with?” Yu looked at her. Her eyes seem to widen just a bit before clearing her throat.

        “Yes, of course.” She straightened her hat and tie before continuing. “From the information that we have gathered from each other, we can very clearly assume that the attacker is male, as there have never been any female security guards in this establishment as long as I have worked here.” She looked at Yosuke for confirmation and he nodded. “It was very clearly the night guard, seeing how it took place after hours.” Something about that sentence didn’t sit right with Yu.

        “Hold on, Yosuke said earlier that this took place before ten pm. The night guard shift doesn’t start until midnight.” Yu said, interrupting Naoto. “Why would the night guard be there almost two hours early?” Naoto looked troubled.

        “Yosuke-senpai, how did you know it was before ten?” Rise asked Yosuke, whose mouth set itself into a frown.

        “I had checked my phone before we went off in our little group. I checked my battery and time. Don’t you remember? I told you guys we’d be back by ten.” Yosuke said to them. They seemed to think for a moment and then Naoto spoke up.

        “Well, who was it then? The day guard should have still been there. Our phones automatically sync up with the regional time, so there could have been no way to offset our sense of time.” Naoto looked at the time on the monitor screen. “Who was the day guard?” She asked. The rest of them seemed to be thinking.

        “There’s no way. If the day guard did it, then the Night guard would have found us before my parents did, and they specifically told us that they’d found us in…” He seemed to realize something. “They found us in the special party room, not the hallway. The night guard probably had no idea, since we usually go home before he gets there anyway. Shit!” Yosuke clutched his hair, slightly pulling it. “We got some innocent guy fired!” He said.

        “I don’t think that’s your worst concern. If what you said was correct, that night guard would have probably been chased away by the irrational fear of you.” Yu said, putting it in light terms. His way of putting things didn’t seem to soften the blow, judging from the way they all slumped their shoulders.

        “… are we really that scary looking?” Teddie asked, looking on the verge of tears. Yosuke looked at him, looking like he wanted to say words of comfort, but Yu remembered how he’d seen his friends on the monitors. He didn’t say anything.

        “At first, it’s unsettling. You’re not scary looking, it’s the atmosphere here at night.” Yu said, looking at them. It wasn’t that he was trying to make them feel better, he was just telling the truth. Teddie seemed to be happier after that.

        “I’m used to it,” Kanji said, shrugging, “people are always scared of me and shit.”

        “Even though your hobbies include sewing and looking at cute things.” Yosuke said with a smirk.

        “And ain’t nothing wrong with that Senpai!” Kanji yelled, standing from his chair. He sat back down and slumped. “I haven’t been able to do that since we’ve been stuck like this anyways.” He said. Yu caught Yosuke’s look of guilt.

        “The most interesting thing that’s happened since that night is all the different reactions from the security guards.” Yukiko said, a smile on her face. “Do you guys remember that one guy that closed the door with such a girly scream that Yosuke-kun-- who had been going to check on him-- covered his ears and later swore that that man had no balls?” She started laughing, even though Yu didn’t see what exactly was so funny about that. Most of the group seemed exasperated by her, and only Teddie seemed to join in on her good mood.

        “I want to go home…” Rise said, drawing her knees up to her face. There was an unsettled silence after that, and Yu finally saw what they were. They were kids, just like him, somehow stuck in this state of limbo. They’d been stuck like that for half a year, living their lives as animatronics, and entertaining children.

        “You will be able to go home.” Yu said, breaking the silence. “I will do everything I can to make sure that happens soon.” He raised his hand as if making a promise. Everyone looked at him, and eventually small smiles appeared on several of their faces. Yu silently vowed that he’d do everything in his power to make sure he kept his promise. He took a quick glance at the office clock, and the power gauge. 3:34 am 38% power. His brow furrowed. How had the power gotten so low? He shook his head and turned back to the group, looking at their faces.

        “Tomorrow, I say, we conduct a full investigation of this building. Search everywhere we can. We could have possibly missed something, like we already had.” Naoto spoke up, straightening in her seat. There was a collective nod and then everyone fell into conversation. Yu could hear snippets of excitement, and worry. There was one person who wasn’t talking to anyone.

        "Yosuke-san.” Yu got his attention, making him jump. The boy looked at the teenage night guard and then cast his eyes down again. It seemed that he was collecting his thoughts, reaching up to touch his dog ears. The word cute flashed through Yu’s mind, but he couldn’t quite lock onto it in time before it was gone.

        “Narukami-san.” Yosuke said, scooting his chair closer so they could talk in hushed tones. “There’s something I haven’t told the others, not even Ted.” He said, his voice lowered to a quiet only Yu could hear. Yu leaned over, as to make it easier to hear him. He kept shifting his gaze to the others. His eyes held guilt. “Look, I’m only telling you because you might be able to make a difference. You’re the first one besides us to know what we actually are.” He said quickly, keeping his voice hushed, but Yu could hear the guilt anyway.

        “What is it?” He asked, giving Yosuke the signal to continue. He worried his bottom lip a bit before speaking.

        “My family… it’s always been cursed. I never believed it, until this happened. It’s on my Dad’s side. He told me a story about how he lost his whole family in some freak accident when he was young. He told me another story of how my grandfather told him of a long nosed man accompanied by a beautiful woman. I’ve been thinking that maybe this is related to the curse.” He gulped, looking at his friends again, and then back at Yu, a desperate look joining the guilty, willing Yu to believe him. “Something has always happened to a male in the Hanamura family, ever since it started.”

        “When did it start?” Yu asked. Yosuke shook his head.

        “I don’t know. My dad didn’t know. Probably more than a hundred years?” He said.

        “And Teddie doesn’t know?” Yu asked, looking over at the younger boy, laughing with Rise about something.

        “No. We didn’t tell him, since he isn’t related by blood, we thought he didn’t have to worry…” Yosuke’s face clouded with guilt again, his gaze on his adopted brother and surrounding friends. Yu put a hand on his shoulder, Yosuke looking at him again.

        “It’s not your fault. Whatever your ancestors did, this isn’t your fault.” He said, seeing the words swimming in the other boys’ eyes. Yosuke clenched his fists on his legs, grinding his teeth, his eyes narrowing, guilt turned to anger. Despair.

        “It is my fault.” He argued quietly. “I should have known better, and now the people I care about are all stuck like this.” He gripped his hair. Yu had a very strong urge to hug this poor teenager who had the guilt and burden of six lives on his shoulders. But he didn’t, instead placing both of his hands on the boys’ shoulders. Yu wanted to take some of that burden off of him. He understood how he was feeling, even if he’d never experienced it before.

        “If you believe that so strongly, then you do everything you can to fix this.” Yu said, staring into his eyes. “No matter what happens, you can’t give up.” He was sure the other boy knew this already, but he had to know that he wasn’t going to do this alone. “And I’m going to help.” Yosuke looked like he wanted to question him, wondering why he was doing this for them. But he didn’t voice anything, instead looking into his eyes, as if searching for the answers there.

        “Ahem.” Someone was standing close to them, clearing their throat to get their attention. Yu looked up, seeing Chie, and let his hands fall off of Yosuke’s shoulders naturally. She had her hands on her hips, looking sternly at Yosuke. “Sorry to interrupt your little moment, but seeing as it was getting awkward, I’m sure you don’t mind.” Yu heard Yosuke protest, but Yu looked at the clock. 4:12 am. 32% power.

        “He was just trying to, you know, motivate me- shit that sounds wrong- I mean, he was reassuring me that we’d solve this problem.” Yosuke was telling the group as Yu turned his attention to the security cameras. He’d seen movement, which shouldn’t have been possible seeing as everyone in their group was right there in the office. It had been near the front entrance. The door had just closed as he’d looked. Or at least he thought. Maybe he’d check once he gained access to the footage. The teens behind him squabbled, background noise, as he switched one of the monitors to the entrance out front. There was a car pulling out of the parking lot, but the license plate was too blurry. Yu clenched his fist. The first night on the job and he’d already let someone slip past his watch. He looked behind him.

        These kids were far more important at the moment. Human lives are more valuable than anything someone could steal from here.

        At Five in the morning, there was 20% power left. Yu had watched it carefully for a while gauging how much power would go down in a certain amount of time without physically using anything like switching the monitors, or closing the safety doors. This posed as a problem to Yu. Somehow, at some time, a lot of power had been used at once. According to his math, not using the appliances should have left him with little less than half power by five am.

        It frustrated him, coming up with nothing as to why the power supply had depleted so quickly. He did consider that the person who had snuck in could have tapped into the power, but how? It was supposed to be a heavily secured facility.

        Yosuke stayed with him until his shift was over, the others going out to the stage area to start warming up, or eat food. Yu didn’t want to know how they did anything, it also seemed rude to ask. He was thankful to Yosuke, starting to like the kid, sharing stories from his time in the city, and in Inaba, where the diner was located. Yu didn’t share any of his personal information, such as family members, or house number, but that’s because they didn’t come up. The flow of conversation seemed to come naturally to the two of them, connecting topics and conversing like they’d been friends for years.

        When the clock read 6:00am, Yu heard the toll of a bell in the distance. The bell belonged to the school, rung every morning at 6am sharp, even during the holidays. Yu took that as his cue to clock out, saying good bye to the teenagers, promising to see them that night. On his way out, he yawned. He immediately spotted his uncle’s car, and waved. His uncle waved back and Yu opened the passenger side door, getting in.

        “How was it?” He was asked. Yu smiled at his uncle.

        “Interesting to say the least.” He replied, not really sure he should get his uncle involved just yet. He might want to later on in this investigation. He was aware Naoto was a detective, but having another professional help, wouldn’t hurt.

        As his uncle pulled the car out of the parking lot, Yu stared at the restaurant until he couldn’t see it anymore. His resolve grew stronger as he got further and further away. He was going to lift this curse they were under. He would help them, as much as he could. And he hoped that would be enough.


	2. Night Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time for another shift at Junes: Family Diner and Narukami Yu is ready to get started on this investigation. Who could have done this to these poor kids? How had this happened? Was there more to this than they originally thought? What exactly happens if the power shuts off before the main power comes back online?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "When the power goes out... we aren't ourselves. We can't remember anything. We wake up after the power turns back on, but..."

  Again Narukami Yu stood in front of Junes: Family Diner. He waved to his Uncle who, once again, pulled out of the parking lot, this time going home. He had promised Nanako, his daughter, that he’d get some sleep tonight. Yu took a deep breath, hoping slightly that last night hadn’t just been a dream, or hallucination. Steeling himself, he stepped towards the door, the area around him illuminated by lights provided by the moon and the street lamps. The doors opened as he stepped closer, and he almost ran head first into Adachi.

        “Oh hey,” He said, stopping Yu, “you’re back for another night huh?” He took a drag from his cigar and then chuckled. “You kids are crazy these days. If I were you, I would have found myself another job. I’m sure you could fine some other part time work.” He seemed to smile bitterly for a second. “Don’t work yourself too hard. Dojima-san leaves poor Nanako alone enough already.” He added. Yu kept his face neutral, knowing fully well that Adachi had a habit of saying too much.

        “Yes, thank you for your concern Adachi-san. I should probably get to work though.” Yu pointed through the doors, glancing at his watch. It was five minutes to midnight. Adachi just nodded slowly, taking another drag.

        “Right, Right. I’ll let you get to it then. See ya.” He said, and then Yu watched him walk off for a moment before walking inside. As his watch shined a 12:00 in glowing blue numbers, the nightly electricity turned on. He walked into his office and sat down heavily in the chair, checking the power supply. 100%. Perfect. The cameras showed the main stage, in front of the kitchen door, and the cage. He watched as Patchy stirred, looked around, and then walked off the stage. Yu tried to remind himself that this machine was the boy he’d met yesterday. It wasn’t until he saw the dyed hair and brown eyes that his heart calmed down.

        “Hey, welcome back.” He greeted the silver haired security guard, leaning against the doorframe. His arms were crossed and he was looking at him with intense brown eyes. “What’s the plan?” It took a minute for Yu to reply, looking at the time and power. 12:10am 99% power. On the monitors, everyone had gathered on the main stage. He turned back to the boy, who was looking at him expectantly.

        “Do you have access to every area and room in the building?” Yu asked him finally, looking at the camera map on the tablet. There were a few rooms he couldn’t see on the cameras; ones he didn’t suppose a lot of people frequented. The teenager nodded, placing a hand to his chin.

        “As a group, we have the faculty room, the supply closets, the special rooms, repair rooms, changing rooms, kitchen, uh..." He paused. "Basically everywhere actually.” He said sheepishly, looking at Yu. “But we searched those places, over and over, every night since we decided that we couldn’t live like this. That... that was four months ago.” It seemed there was a story behind this, but Yu didn’t push it. He stood from his chair and walked over to the boy, adjusting the security guard hat on his head. He put in hands on his hips and smiled gently.

        “Show me everything there is to this place. Maybe a pair of fresh eyes is what you need.” He said. Yosuke looked at him and then let out a breathy laugh. He shook his head and pushed his hair back.

        “Alright, you got a point," He moved into the hall, "let’s go. We've gotta tell the others what we’re doing. Certain people have access to certain areas. Chie has the kitchen and anything within that, plus Yukiko's cage." He started to count on his fingers. "Ted's got his reservation party rooms, and the closets that are in there. I have access to the repair room, and so do you, Mr. Security Guard. We all have access to the changing rooms. Only I have access, other than my folks, to the supply closets. Ever since that one key went missing a few months ago, they didn’t trust anyone else to have a copy.” Yu took in this information, trying to remember it all. He fingered the keys on his belt loop. There were four: One to lock the front entrance, one to access the repair room, another to lock and unlock the office, and then there was a strange looking key. They hadn’t mentioned it when they’d gone over what each key was for during his interview. He took that one in between his fore finger and thumb. It had a face on it, and some sort of blueish gem. It looked too fancy to go to anything in this place, especially given that the other keys were rusty.

        “Alright, let’s go. Just give me a second to lock the office up.” He noticed Yosuke’s worried look when he said that. “Don’t worry. I asked if it would tap into the power if I locked it up in the middle of the night and they said no. Since it’d be locked from the outside. Then they, of course, asked me why, and I told them about our investigation.” He smiled at Yosuke as he turned the key, the power going out in the office, but staying on in the rest of the restaurant.

        “Did…” Yosuke seemed like he almost didn't want to ask this, “Did they believe you?”

        “Yes. But, only after I named you all by name.” He put a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “They’re glad that you guys have a "new hope," as they put it.” The phone call had consisted of sobbing and reassuring, some suspicion, and then broken gratitude. It had been heartwarming to hear his employers give him heartfelt thanks. Yu, being humble, didn’t take the thanks yet. Instead, he promised them that he would help as long as he could, or as long as it takes. But, there was something that he didn’t quite understand about something Mr. Hanamura had said. "We’ve lost so many security guards, young man. They had claimed to be traumatized. Something about the power. The last one, I remember, he said the animatronics weren’t the same if the power goes out." It was strange. He’d sounded oddly serious.

        “Good.” Yosuke seemed to be relieved. They walked down the hall, the lights dimly lighting the entire place. It would have been scary, if Yu wasn’t with Yosuke. On the main stage, the rest of the cursed teens were sitting in a circle. Their voices carried through the entire establishment, making it seem almost like the restaurant was open. The two walked over, the teens standing to greet them, and they also seem to prepare for action.

        “Hello, Narukami-san.” Yukiko said, basically greeting him for the rest of the group. He raised his hand in greeting and then put his hands in the pockets of the security uniform. The group looked at each other, glancing around before settling their gazes on Yu. He then realized that he was supposed to be directing this investigation.

        “Alright.” He said, stepping forward. It was kind of unsettling to have seven pairs of eyes locked onto him, a person who usually liked to blend into the crowd despite his unnatural features. He cleared his throat, hoping to calm his rising nerves. “I…” He faltered. What was his plan of action? He, of course, wanted to see every inch of the building, but was taking everyone necessary? “I want the ones with keys to come with me. Yosuke-san, Chie, Teddie-san, that means you.”

        “Yessir!” Chie and Teddie said, jokingly saluting him. Yosuke nodded once, smiling. The others looked at each other.

        “What about us?” Naoto asked. Yu thought for a moment.

        “Could you four watch the front entrance? We’ll come get you once we’re done looking around for the night.” He decided. The four of them nodded, forming together into a tight group. Yu nodded towards his group and Yosuke led them to the first room. They walked towards the back of the stage, Yosuke moving the hanging curtains that served as the back drop.

        “This is the backstage room, or the changing room. It’s used by all performing and serving employees. People like Security Guards are expected to come in uniform.” He said while unlocking the door and opening it. He flipped the lights on and Yu took in the room. It was white, mostly. The lockers were silvery tin, each with a simple combination lock. There was a bench in the middle, a table with three chairs pushed against a wall, and a screen that was most likely used for changing behind. The lockers were up against a single wall, but there was a patch of wall that seemed fresher than the rest, and the floor was a bit cleaner. They’d lost employees after the seven teenagers had gone missing. Not just the teenagers, but regular employees, servers, and cooks.

        “The most likely culprit would have been one of the night guards, but since they don’t use this room, I doubt we’ll find anything here.” Chie said, putting her hands on her hips. “I mean, we’ve searched this place, even inside the lockers. There’s nothing in here.” Yu put a hand to his chin, his eyes scouring the room. The fresher paint was weird. Sure, a restaurant like this would have to stay cheap, but it looked like a bad job of trying to cover something up.

        “What’s the story with the wall?” Yu asked, standing in front of it. The others joined him, scrutinizing the wall.

        “I don’t see anything wrong with it.” Chie said, after several moments of silence.

        “Everyone's lockers used to be here, but that’s it.” Teddie added, looking at Yu confused. Yu looked at them and then back at the wall.

        “Did someone paint over it?” He asked, for clarification. The others looked at each other. Yu stepped up to the wall, tracing the faded line between the fresher and the old paint. “See, it’s the outline of about three lockers.” He said, judging based on the lockers on the other wall.

        “Oh wow.” Chie leaned closer, her eyes growing wide. “You’re right. They did a pretty good job if we hadn’t noticed it.” She said. Yu stepped back, contemplating.

        “Who removed the lockers?” He asked.

        “The Police. Said it was evidence.” Yosuke replied, scratching the back of his head. Yu, having played many video games involving mystery, was starting to piece together a suspect. Who would want to cover up something uncovered by the police, but could also be a security guard? Tohru Adachi. Now, Yu didn’t trust Adachi, but he had seen the man enough to know what he was like. He was working two jobs because he barely made ends meet with one, and he didn’t cook his own meals.

        It was too obvious. There was no way it had been Adachi. There might be someone else who had the ability to do both of those things.

        “Well, I’ll bet that someone covered up the way to set you guys free. Why it was behind your lockers, I don’t know.” Yu shook his head, heading towards the door. "I could be wrong, of course. Let's move on." The others followed him, probably not following everything that he was saying. He opened the door back up, sweeping the main stage room with his eyes quickly, catching the little piece of trash that lay on the floor towards the back, dejected and forgotten.

        He made his way towards the kitchen, checking his watch to catch the time. It was close to 1 am, about 12:52. If he was right with his math, which he generally was, the power should have been roughly at 90%. -Ish. Maybe 89%. Regardless, it wasn’t an issue. No one could get in the security office at this time, and the power that would normally be going to there was shut off.

        He realized, as Chie opened the door to the kitchen, that maybe the paint in that room hadn’t mattered. For all he knew, it could have just been a touch up job. As she flipped the switch, he pushed the paint to the back of his mind, in order to take in the sight in front of him. The kitchen was basically spotless, even if some of the appliances and cookware looked like they’d seen many decades. He walked in, being careful not to touch anything as Chie went over to the far side.

        “There’s a supply closet over here somewhere… Haven’t used it in ages for who knows what reason. Aha!” She had been shuffling some stuff around, an old ladder, and some boxes, and found a door behind it. She checked the handle and it seemed to be locked. “Huh… Maybe that’s why…” She said, putting her hands on her hips. She pursed her lips and looked like she was thinking.

        Yu went over to look too, not noticing anything too odd about the door. He’d have to ask about it in the afternoon. He instead went to look at the appliances. It was all good stuff. A stainless steel fridge sat against a wall, and a well-used gas stove sat next to a sink that was rusting a bit around the handles and the faucet. Pots and Pans dangled from the ceiling, and the Pizza oven sat off in a corner. It was old fashioned, chunks of half burnt wood pushed to the back. Looking closer, he could see what looked like lined paper.

        Reaching his arm in, he pulled out the charred and crumpled piece of paper. Bits tumbled off and onto the floor, too charred to be of any value anyway. The rest of it wasn’t too badly burnt, even if it was the size of a half sheet. Un-crumpling it, he wasn’t surprised to see that it was written on.

        “To the Owners of Junes: Family Diner.” Yu read aloud so the other three wouldn’t try to peek over his shoulder and hover. “I know your secret. And I know how to… That bit was burnt through…” He cleared his throat and started at the next legible word. “- if you don’t want that to happen, … put - The amount is too charred to read - yen behind the trash bin behind your establishment.” He paused. “The rest is too burnt to read.”

        “What… the hell man?” Yosuke asked, grabbing the note out of his hands and reading it for himself. “This is a shit motive! Money?!” He seemed to be very frustrated, as he threw the piece of paper against the nearest wall. Yu went over to pick it up, pocketing it carefully. It was still evidence. He faced the other two, seeing that Chie was trying to soothe a fuming Yosuke. “We’re trapped like this… for Money…” He didn’t like that conclusion. Yu felt sympathy for them, but felt it best not to express it. Instead, he placed a hand on Yosuke’s shoulder.

        “How was that paper not burned entirely?” Teddie asked quietly, gathering the attention of everyone before Yu could say anything. “I mean, it’s been more than six months. Could it have honestly sat there without getting entirely burnt? Maybe someone is keeping information on how to change us back?” Teddie suggested. Yosuke and Chie were looking incredulously at him, and Yu smiled approvingly.

        “Right, we can’t assume anything yet. Great observation Teddie.” Yu clapped the young Hanamura on the back of his shoulder. Teddie gave a quiet chuckle, obviously embarrassed by the praise, but he took it in stride.

        “I’m always full of those Sensei!” Yu started at that word, heat rising to his cheeks. Teddie covered his mouth after he realized what he had said. “Sorry! It just slipped out cause you’re acting kind of like a master of investigation.” He quickly explained himself. Yu chuckled softly, ruffling the younger boy’s hair.

        “Don’t worry Teddie, you can call me that if you want.” He fixed the boys hair after. “However, I’m far from a master of investigation.” As Teddie smiled up at him, he felt a bond forming, and smiled back. His resolve to figure out how to free them grew stronger too. “Now,” He turned to face all of them. “Where to next?”

        “Well, how about Teddie’s Special Rooms?” Chie asked, gesturing vaguely with her hands. “He doesn’t like going into them at night so we haven’t really checked the closets in there.” Yu nodded and glanced down at his watch, watching as the minute changed. It was 1:34am. Just looking at that time made him feel tired. He shook his head and followed the others out of the room. It was probably as 84% power by now, give or take a percentage.

        They walked in silence, waving to the others as they passed the hall to the front entrance. They were in the middle of a conversation, but waved back. He waited while Teddie unlocked the door they were going to enter. It was off to the side of the main room, but across from the kitchen. And despite it being a fun place for children for special parties, it didn’t look very friendly. Sure, there was a sign that had colorful letters and balloons saying “Party Room”, but the rest was metal.

        Teddie opened the door and flicked on the lights. Yu winced, and wondered if these lights were connected to the Office battery. He’d have to ask. He stepped in behind the other three, faced with a smaller stage, and three tables. There was a dance floor near the stage, and a few arcade games along the side. A door peaked out from behind the curtain.

        “This is where they found us.” Yosuke supplied, gesturing towards the front of the room. Yu walked over, still eyeing the door. His first question was, why here of all places? Well, that was a question he could answer. There was no camera in this room. The Night guard would have no business in this room. And it had to be unlocked, which was what the Hanamura’s had done. Teddie and the Hanamura’s were the only ones with this key. Of course, that didn't mean whoever did this couldn't have just taken the key from Teddie.

        “The door up there is where I used to come out of before… You know, to give them the illusion there was a backstage.” Teddie supplied. “I don’t go back there anymore.” Yu traced his hand along the Stage.

        “Mind if I do?” He asked, looking at Teddie. He shrugged and handed him the key. Yu hoisted himself up onto the stage and then made his way to the door. He unlocked it and stepped inside, aware that none of the others made to follow him. The room was dark, and it was full of costumes. Teddie had quite the wardrobe, from flashy to plain, they were all fancy. There was even a blue dress and a wig. Yu found himself smiling slightly at this. Not in a judgmental way, but in a proud way. They must have sincerely loved what they did.

        Yu took his time, rifling through the pieces of dust covered clothing, seeing if there was anything behind them. Coming up empty, he left the room, locking it back up. He shook his head to the others. They looked relieved.

        “The last thing we need is another confusing piece of evidence.” Chie said. Yu frowned, but didn’t voice his opinion. What they needed was exactly that, confusing or not. Either way, they wanted to leave that room, and practically dragged him back out to the main room. After they locked that door again, they let out a collective sigh of relief. Yu looked at his watch, almost surprised that it was ten past two.

        They checked several supply closets in the main room, deciding to leave the investigation of the halls leading to the Security office, and the front entrance for another time. They collected the others, who were happy to be back in a large group. They made their way back to the main stage and sat down before discuss what they had found.

        “So, the supply closets were bust, which is understandable, since people are always going in them for stuff.” Yosuke said, to start off the conversation. There was a collective murmur of agreement. Yu crossed his arms. They didn’t make much head way tonight, and he got a gut feeling every time they opened a closet door that they were getting somewhere. He brushed off that feeling though, deciding that was just wishful thinking.

        “The lockers in the Locker room had been moved, right?” Chie made sure that everyone was on the same page before continuing. “Narukami-san said where they had been had been painted over, and it was about the width of three lockers, not the whole wall, which was about seven.”

        “Six! My locker was in the back room in that room.” Teddie pipped up, pointing to the Party Room. Chie rolled her eyes and continued speaking.

        “That’s still half. Narukami-san said it was suspicious, and that it might have been done to cover something up.” She finished up. Naoto seemed to be deep in thought so everyone fell quiet to let her think in piece.

        “Alright, continue, that’s not much to go on.” She said, gesturing with her hand for them to carry on. Yu cleared his throat, gathering all their attention as he extracted the piece of paper from his uniform pocket. He unfolded it and laid it out in the middle of the circle.

        “We found this in the Kitchen oven. Some of it is burned and too charred to read, but the message is clear. They have information that they either are withholding from the Hanamura’s, or information about their family that they didn’t want anyone to know.” Yu looked at Yosuke for a quick second. “However, as Teddie pointed out, it’s been little more over half a year, and if this piece of paper was given to the Hanamura’s before this incident, then it would be less than ash now. So, we are inclined to believe that it is more recent, and the person who wrote this knows how to change you guys back, but is withholding the information for money.” He finished, watching as they took turns reading the note. He watched as Kanji grew angry, looking ready to tear the paper in two. Naoto took it before anything happened, reading it many times. She handed the paper to Rise, and then went into thinking mode.

        “I think Teddie may have been right.” She said after Yukiko had read the paper and placed it back in the middle. As Yu pocketed it, she continued. “If what Narukami-san said was true, and someone was trying to cover up something that just happened to lay behind our lockers, then that note could very well be a ransom note for information.” She shifted her sitting position, from cross legged to sitting on her legs. This way, she was a bit taller than the rest of the group.

        “If that’s the case, then the Hanamura’s are doing the right thing. They burned the note, which isn’t very smart, but since we aren’t cured yet, then we can assume they didn’t meet the suspects requirements.”

        “Or they did, and it was a bluff.” Yosuke said. “Or the culprit is still withholding the information even after being given the money.” The whole group kind of slouched, and even Naoto lost her posture. Yu swallowed, unsure of what to say right now. He was still unfamiliar with a large group of people, especially people who may very well be putting their lives in his hands. He needed to say something.

        “Even if that’s the case,” He started. “There must be more clues.” He almost faltered under their gazes, especially Naoto’s and Yosuke’s unreadable eyes. “We can’t give up here. We can’t let negativity allow us to forget that there is a chance of saving you guys. And since I’m not about to go away, I’m not going to let you stay like this forever.” He reiterated what he had told them yesterday. “I will help you. And I will save you.” He felt like he should be swallowed by a black hold right about now. “What happened before, covering it up, or trying to sell it, that doesn’t matter. We can’t change what’s happened. No matter what happened.”

        “The who matters, not the why. Or the how. The who matters. And The solution matters.” He finished, trying to seem more confident than he felt. He barely knew these kids, and he was trying to give them a pep talk when he wasn’t in their situation. He couldn’t possibly know how they feel in this situation. So, what gave him the right-

        “He’s right.” Rise said quietly, wiping away tears. She sniffled and smiled. “You know, Naoto, you were always so focused on the why, and the how. We thought we’d caught the who, and we didn’t really believe we could find a way to fix this, but now we have a way.” She looks at Yu. “He is probably the key.” Yu flushed slightly at that statement.

        “Thanks Senpai, think we kinda needed to hear that. A fresh voice, ya know?” Kanji said. Yu smiled slightly.

        “Kinda? We really needed to hear that, are you kidding?” Chie said. “All this time we’ve been drowning in self-pity! We’ve even scolded Teddie for being positive.” She pointed out. Yukiko nodded, and Teddie seemed to light up. Yosuke and Naoto bowed their heads, not in shame, but in thought.

        “I… guess that’s right.” Naoto was the next to speak. “I apologize for not being able to conduct the investigation as efficiently as I should have.” She bowed her head again. Kanji clapped her on the shoulder, smiling, and blushing slightly.

        “Hey, we ain’t blaming you Naoto.” She flushed at that and nodded. The group was silent for a minute, as if they were waiting for someone else to speak. All eyes landed on Yosuke, who hadn’t said a word since his pessimistic comment. Yu placed a hand on his shoulder. Yosuke looked at him, and then let out a self-depreciating laugh.

        “Jeez, you guys…” He seemed to be at a loss.

        “It’s okay, Yosuke. You don’t have to say something motivational. Cause, we all know you’re not really good at that.” Chie said, a teasing tone evident. Yosuke glared at her playfully and sighed.

        “Yeah, I really needed to hear that too. To be honest, I was starting to give up hope that we actually could change back. Starting to think that eventually, we’d forget how to be functioning humans. That’d we’d be stuck like this for years, continuously used as entertainment for children.” He said, admitting to what he’d been thinking about for this whole predicament.

        “Well, you won’t. Not if I can help it.” Yu said, standing. His watch read 5:50am, and he wanted to check the power supply in the office. Just to see if his calculations had been right. “Hey, Yosuke, come with me to the Security office? The rest of you had better prepare yourselves for today.” Yosuke stood too, the rest groaning about having to work. Yu smiled and then walked with Yosuke to the office.

        “Thanks.” Yosuke said, about halfway down the hall. “For, you know, saying that stuff.” He scratched the back of his neck. “We all kind of needed a reality check. Needed to know we weren’t alone still.” Yu smiled, gathering that this teenager wasn’t all that good with words. “It’s still really surreal. I mean, it’s summer vacation, right?” He chuckled. “For my birthday, in June, they closed the whole establishment, under the pretense of “mourning”. We were partying away.” He seemed to like that memory. “My parents said it was weird to see animatronics dancing, but they thought it was funny too. So they were laughing, and laughing. They were just happy, you know?”

        They rounded into the Office Yu’s eyes flicking directly to the power supply percentage.

        “We invited everyone’s folks. They were told everything, and most of them believed it. It took some convincing for the Satonaka’s and Amagi’s but… what’s the matter?” Yosuke noticed Yu staring at the screen, and then he looked at the percentage too, just as the number rolled down to one. He glanced at the clock, seeing that it was 5:56am. “Oh, shit.” Yosuke then bolted from the room, or tried.

        He froze with his hand on the door frame as the mechanical whirs slowed to a stop, all light fading quickly. Yu stared at the boy’s silhouette, apprehensive. _"The animatronics aren’t the same when the power goes out."_

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        “Yosuke?” He called out softly. The boy’s body jumped, and twitched violently before shuddering to a stop. He started to turn towards Yu, chuckling lowly. His voice sounded… warbled, disjointed, like a recording. A very poor recording. And the first thing that Yu noticed as Yosuke turned around wasn’t he voice, but his bright, glowing, yellow eyes. He started walking towards Yu. Slow, deliberate steps, while producing two shiny black objects from his pockets.

        Yu, smart as he is, backed up slowly, but unfortunately into a wall. He was trapped in a corner, in the office. Yosuke stopped laughing, but still had a face splitting grin on his face that didn’t seem humanly possible. He was close, the… kunai, were those kunai? Damn it Yu, now is not the time for proper terminology of weapons. The knives he held in his hands glinted in the dim light of his eyes. They were being raised to his throat. Oh. He was going to die.

        He felt the blade pressed up against his windpipe and squeezed his eyes shut.

        A bell tolled in the distance, and behind his eye lids, he could see the light spilling out of the bulbs. The sound of metal hitting tile hit his ears and his eyes shot open. Yosuke was looking at him with fear, and glancing at his hands, making whimpering sounds. He was panicking. And to be honest, so was Yu. Yosuke shifted on his feet before shooting one last look at Yu, making a noise of distress, and dashing out into the left hall.

        Yu reached up to his neck, hissing as he touched the slight cut. He brought his fingers back to his line of sight and felt his heart clench. The tips of his fingers were shiny with blood. He looked down at the ground, the weapons, which yes, Yu, were Kunai, lay there. Yosuke must have dropped them out of shock. Yu felt sick just looking at them and stumbled, still in shock, to the exit in the right hall.

        He walked around the building, still processing what had just happened.

        “Yu!” Oh shit. “What happened?” Dojima ran up to him as he rounded the corner. Yu smiled tiredly and waved in the same manner.

        “I tripped and cut myself on some branches in the back. I didn’t feel like walking past the animatronics today.” He lied. He could tell that his uncle didn’t buy it, but he must have looked dead on his feet because his Uncle had mercy on him. He led him back to the car, glancing at him every few seconds. He made him sit in the passenger seat with the door still open as he dressed the scratch. Yu winced as he cleaned it out with an alcohol wipe, and then covered it with ointment.

        “Worst that Nanako will do is try to kiss it to make it better.” Dojima joked with his nephew. He sighed when all he got a was a weak smile. He moved around the car to sit in the driver’s seat. Yu used what energy he had left to close his door and buckle. “Get some sleep. I won’t leave you in the car, don’t worry.”

        Yu nodded, staring at the receding building through the side view mirrors. The last thing he remembers thinking is how painful it was to lean his head against the window as the car moved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These are my plans:  
> I will update this on the first of every month,  
> or I will update the Third night on the 1st of August and then post the other nights whenever I get them done. It's unfortunate, but these Chapters are hard to get right. I'm still not happy with them fully, they could always be better, but I am my own editor and harshest Critic, sooo... 
> 
> ANYWAY, I hope you enjoyed reading!


	3. Night Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After last night's incident, Narukami Yu finds himself in front of Junes:Family Diner once more. Tensions seem to be high in all of the teens, so what will tonight bring?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before you begin reading, I would like to thank you all.  
> As promised, here it is.

  Yu stood in front of Junes Family Diner for a third time, the sun long gone. The sounds of summer insects filling the otherwise silent air. The constant hum of cars, and other noises, was what he missed most from the City. This quiet was unsettling. This place was unsettling. He was… Nervous.

        He thought back to that morning. He’d thought about it a lot before going to work. He had slept restlessly, something that rarely happened. Even his lanky she-cat that he had brought with him from home couldn’t fully distract his thoughts. Usually, the sleek coated tabby would be able to wipe his thoughts of anything other than her with cute trills, and her rumbling purr. However, he appreciated her familiar company.

        But, he had made a commitment. No matter how scared he was, no matter what went down that morning, he had promised. He couldn’t quit. He couldn’t give up. He had to keep searching for the Truth. As elusive as it is…

        Stepping forward against the chill night air that had replaced the summer warmth, he walked towards the main doors. No lights had been left on, no cars were in the lot. He was alone until midnight. He opened the main doors with his key, and then locked them again, the restaurant feeling… off... as he stepped inside. Maybe it was just his own unease. Or, maybe he had just skipped past that atmospheric detail on his first few nights. Or, maybe it was because of what had happened.

        Walking down the dark hallways to his office, Yu tried not to think of how his footsteps echoed as each one fell onto the bright, but faded, tile floor. If he didn’t know any better, he’d have felt as if he really was in Four Night’s at Frodo’s. Fortunately, the animatronics weren’t just AI programed to stuff “endoskeletons” into suits. But, after that morning, he wasn’t exactly sure they were fully human either. Maybe, along with the curse, they had been doomed to have a second self of sorts?

        He really didn’t know. And, without evidence, or anyway to talk to them when they’re in that state (That he knew of), he wouldn’t be able to fully figure it out.

        Once he had made it to his office, he checked the clock. Still five of midnight. Maybe he could exchange a quick text with someone. A friend, maybe? But, he hadn’t really made close friends in this town, knowing that he was moving in the spring again. He had school friends, people who he would help study, or be in a club with, but he never spoke to them outside of school. Never even exchanged numbers. They were all nice people, but he just never clicked with anyone.

        As soon as the clock struck twelve, the phone started ringing as the power came to life. Startled at the sudden sound, Yu picked up the phone, holding it to his ear before answering the call.

        “Hello?”

        “Hey, Narukami right? It’s me, Adachi.” Yu recognized the voice. It had that same tired lilt to it that Adachi always seemed to carry around. He checked the Camera feeds, seeing that the animatronics, the teenagers, were now congregating on the stage around the orange dog Animatronic. Patchy. Yosuke. “I called to tell you about some, uh… complications we had today with one of the animatronics.”

        Yosuke wasn’t moving, not even as his friends flitted around him, probably asking questions.

        “Complications?” Yu asked, staring at the screen, his hands mindlessly twiddling with the phone cord. It was one of those models with the curly chords.

        “Yeah, something about… one of the animatronics not working. Like, at all. Got the owners in a real bad mood. Uh… Patchy? The Orange mutt that plays guitar, I think it was. Got any idea as to why it wouldn’t be working?” Adachi’s tone was accusatory.

        “Uh, No? He was fine last night.” He didn’t want to mention anything about the power going out. Yu checked the time. Okay, it had barely been a few minutes. The power level was hardly going anywhere, sticking to one hundred for a while now. Maybe because he wasn’t actively switching feeds, or turning on extra lights.

        “Uh… He?” It took Yu a moment to comprehend.

        “Oh, sorry. They just seem so life-like sometimes.” He said, quickly coming up with a believable explanation. He bit his lip. Hopefully the part-time dusk guard would believe him.

        “Uh… huh…” He seemed to pause on the other end. “Hey, you don’t leave your office at night, do you?” Slightly startled at the sudden question, Yu shook his head.

        “No.” He lied easily.

        “Alright. Just be careful of them, alright? I don’t want to see the place getting another complaint, or being sued because of “Bodily Harm” during work hours. Don’t want the place getting shut down for some kid dying on the job.” Adachi’s tone was playful, and it had been meant as a joke. But Yu… Yu felt a chill run down his spine.

        “Haha… yeah.” He choked out a fake laugh as Adachi chuckled.

        “I’ll let you get to work, kid. Just wanted to let you know that they might be acting a bit strange tonight.” And with that, he hung up. Yu almost let the phone drop to the floor, but managed to put it back with a trembling hand onto the receiver. A quick glance at the screens almost made his heart leap into his throat. Three of the them were missing.

        “Hello.” Nearly jumping out of his chair, Yu spun around to see three of the girls there. The three that were missing. Well, that hadn’t taken long. They were hovering by the door, startled by how jumpy he was. He gave them a smile, although he wasn’t sure if it was convincing. Yukiko Amagi had been the one to greet him.

        “Hello. Can I… help you three?” He asked, trying to relax. They seemed just as they had the night before. Perfectly normal. Naoto Shirogane and Rise Kujikawa stood behind the raven haired girl slightly. They were all hesitant, it seemed.

        “Chie… Chie-senpai sent us here to check on you.” Rise said eventually. “A-and to find out why Yosuke-senpai is acting weird.” She added, gripping her elbows. She was uneasy. She probably had an idea of what had happened.

        “Teddie has told us that the power had gone out this morning right before six. And we know that Yosuke-senpai had been with you around that time. And…” Naoto trailed off, gesturing to her neck. His neck. Right. The bandage. He gave them a smile again, this time more relaxed.

        “I’m fine. But… what happened this morning…” He trailed off too, not exactly sure how he wanted to tell them that their friend has attacked him. “A-anyway. Did he talk to you guys at all? I heard that he wasn’t responsive during the day.” Great way to dodge that bullet.

        “Yosuke-kun has been… unresponsive still. Chie, Teddie, and Kanji-kun are with him, trying to get him to talk. He trusts those three the most, so that’s also why we’re here.” Yukiko said, smiling. Yu was glad that Yukiko was at least not as uncomfortable as the other two seemed to be.

        “That’s good.” He said.

        “To be completely honest with you, we thought you’d have quit after last night.” Naoto said suddenly, flushing when Yu made eye contact with her. He had no idea what holding his gaze must’ve been like for her at this moment, but she didn’t look away, no matter how much she seemed to want to.

        “I made a promise.” He said, keeping his voice light. “Once I make one, nothing except death itself can stop me from fulfilling the promise.” Bold words for a seventeen-year-old. All three girls looked taken aback for a second before Rise broke into a grin.

        “Oooh! Senpai, you’re so cool! Kya!” She started, sounding something akin to fangirling. “You should’ve seen how you looked when you said that. It was like you were the main protagonist from an Anime!” He chuckled awkwardly at that while Yukiko broke into a fit of giggles. Naoto sighed and shifted her hat to cover her eyes a bit. And, with that little event, the tension seemed to break. It felt much more relaxed, comfortable, and nice. Yu just hoped that everything would be solved soon.

        “So… are we going to be investigating more today?” Yukiko asked after her giggle fit. Yu shook his head.

        “Not today. Not sure if we’d be able to access the places I want to access with the keys I have.” He said simply, turning to glance at the screens again. It seems as though they were making progress with Yosuke at least. They were all sitting down now, in a diamond shape. He could see them gesturing with their hands, and their mouths moving, but there was only so much he could tell from with only being able to see the animatronics.

        “Alright then.” Naoto said. “Yukiko-senpai, didn’t Chie-senpai tell you to report back to her once we checked up on him?” Yukiko clapped her hands together once in remembrance.

        “Right! I’ll go do that then. I’ll be back soon.” She said, leaving with a smile.

        Left in a slightly less comfortable silence, the younger girls stood awkwardly by the door. Yu noticed this and gestured towards some chairs in the corner. They looked at each other, and then decided to sit. Rise crossed her legs and tried to look relaxed, but Yu could tell by the tension in her clasped hands that she wasn’t. Naoto put on a better front, but he’d have to have been blind not to see how white her knuckles were.

        “So,” he broke the silence, “why did you decide to start working here?” He hoped this question wasn’t somehow off limits. He wanted to break the ice, get to know them better. They were his (Self-appointed) responsibility, and any information they could offer might be useful.

        “Well…” Rise was the first to speak, looking at Naoto before continuing. “I used to be an Idol, Risette.” She kind of struck a pose and smiled big. But, she seemed to deflate a bit, slouching and smiling bitter sweetly. “I came to Inaba to get away from that life. Of course, it followed me here and everyone knew who I was.” She sniffed. “I helped my Grandmother with her tofu shop for a while, until Yosuke-senpai came into the shop with Teddie. They had been told to get some Tofu from us for their Family’s restaurant. Yosuke-senpai recognized me immediately, and offered me a part time job as an entertainer for the kids.” She smiled at the memory, staring at the cool grey floor.

        “At first,” She laughed a bit, though it sounded more like a breath that had to come out. “I declined harshly. But… Yosuke-senpai is so stubborn sometimes. Eventually, I got tired of it and accepted, thinking that I would hate it and probably quit soon. However… I loved it.” She looked up and smiled at Yu, who smiled gently back. She continued, a spark in her eyes that looked almost childish. “It reminded me of how I felt back when I started as an Idol. I was free to spread my wings, to use my voice, and be appreciated for who I was. Not who I pretended to be.” She clasped her hands together. “And I got to meet so many wonderful people!” She reached over to Naoto and took her hand. “And I wouldn’t trade my new friends for anything. They’re so accepting. Honestly, I think I would have gone crazy if they hadn’t been stuck like this with me.”

        Naoto returned the smile her friend was giving her, albeit a bit uncomfortable. Rise kept staring at Naoto until she sighed. Naoto withdrew her hand and straightened her outfit, fixing her hat lower over her eyes.

        “I come from a family of detectives, so naturally, I followed that path as well. There wasn’t a case I couldn’t solve, and soon enough I became known as the Detective Prince. Many of the people I worked with looked down on me because of my age, imagine how much they would have done so if they knew of my gender.” She scoffed. “I hid my true self in fear of how much respect I would lose. So, when these people, the teenagers you see around me, found out my true identity by accident…” A blush crept across her face. “Which was all Rise’s fault.” Rise pouted. “Yosuke-senpai offered me a job here as well, since I came here to solve the mystery behind this place.” She gestured with her hand to the walls surrounding them. Though, Yu had a feeling that she was talking about the rumors surrounding the town more than the restaurant itself. 

        Yu nodded slowly, smiling softly. It was heartwarming to listen to their stories. It seemed like they all respected and liked Yosuke, too. They must have been worried this morning when he became unresponsive.

        It was at this moment that Yukiko returned, Kanji in tow. He looked a little tired and very uncomfortable, avoiding all eye-contact with Yu as they sat down in the unoccupied chairs. Yu turned slightly to check the time and the power. It was about one a.m. now, with twelve percent of the power used.

        “Hey Yukiko-senpai! We were just telling him about how we started working here.” Rise explained to Yukiko. Yukiko’s eyes lit up.

        “Well, I remember when Chie and I started working here.” Yu’s attention was drawn back to the group. Yukiko put a finger to her chin in thought. “It was about a year ago. Yosuke’s family had just moved here and they were in desperately need of part-timers.” A warm smile crawled its way onto her lips. “We were in the same class at Yosuke at the time and noticed he was going around putting flyers up. This place isn’t well liked by the local restaurants, so a lot of the flyers got torn down. Chie and I decided to check it out though.”

        “Weren’t you working at your family’s Inn before this?” Naoto asked. Yukiko nodded.

        “Chie was the one interested in the work. But, when we walked in, we heard the children singing along to some song in the main room. Mrs. Hanamura had been at the front desk at the time, so she led us in to show us around. On the main stage, Yosuke was playing his guitar and singing to the kids. It was some really weird song.” She giggled at the memory. “It turns out that he wrote it himself. Actually, he writes all of the music for this place.” Yu couldn’t help but feel awe from hearing that. “It was after we learned that he wrote it that we knew we had to work here, so we applied right away!”

        Yukiko glanced at the monitor, and out the door. She sighed, slouching slightly.

        “We... all know that something happens to us when the power runs out." She switched topics so easily, making the room's mood just a bit more somber. "Teddie is the only one who’s not affected by it though. He’s told us how our eyes glow yellow, and how our voices sound more like an animatronics' voice box. We aren’t ourselves when the power goes out, so I think we all know what happened this morning." She takes a shaky breath before continuing. "It’s happened before. Last time it happened, Chie was the one to hurt someone. We’ve all done it, but I guess this time was a little different since you know who we really are.” She explained. Yu nodded, thinking.

        “Well, Kanji, how about you share your story?” Rise asked, probably trying to steer the conversation back on track. Kanji looked at her, startled.

        “Me?” He asked. “Ya sure?” When no one opposed, he sighed and cleared his throat. “Well, I ain’t got much of a story to tell. These guys came to my Ma’s shop to see if she could make them special outfits. When she told ‘em that I could do it, they wanted me to be their tailor for good after they saw the first one. Yukiko-senpai’s was the most challenging, but I did it.” He looked very proud of himself.

        “When we asked if he could play any instruments, he just said that he could hit stuff. So that’s how he’s now our drumset guy.” Yukiko supplied helpfully. Kanji blushed and did a poor job trying to hide it.

        “Hey…” Naoto brought attention to herself in a quiet fashion. The mood suddenly turned serious, almost like there was a change in background music. “If Narukami-san was out of the office all of last night, then why did the power go out?” She asked, looking at the gauge. Yu looked at it too. It was creeping up to half past one already, the power down to eighty percent.

        “I was thinking about that today.” Yu said turning back to them. “The natural depreciation of power is too slow for last night to be a normal occurrence. And none of you had even stepped foot into the office, right?” He asked, just to make sure.

        “Right. We were either with you, or we were on the stage.” Naoto said. She was slowly closing in on the answer, as was Yu.

        “So, someone must have found a way to tap into the power, or a way into the office, which I had locked.” He noticed the looks on their faces, and raised his hands. “The power wouldn’t have been affected by me locking it from the outside, I asked.” They relaxed a bit after that, quickly tensing up again. “But that means that we weren’t alone last night. There was someone else in the building, someone I missed because I left the office unattended.”

        “This isn’t your fault either…” Yukiko said quietly. Yu looked at her, but didn’t fully agree. To some degree, he felt guilty. Yosuke was suffering from guilt because of something Yu could have prevented. How could he not place part of the blame on himself? Not that he was going to let that crush him, the opposite in fact. He was already formulating a plan.

        “Well… Do we know anyone it could be?” Naoto asked the group. A pensive silence covered them while they speculated in their heads. Yu was the first to speak, knowing that any thought was better than none.

        “The only person I can think of is either the dusk guard, or the day guard. I haven’t met the Day guard, so I’m naturally leaning towards the Dusk Guard, Adachi-san.” He met the eyes of Naoto who was intently listening. “I saw him walk out, but I never saw him leave. I don’t want to be right about this, but he might be the one who sent that note we found yesterday, and the one who activated the curse.” He glanced around before looking at the ground. He turned around, seeing that it was already almost two with thirty percent power gone.

        “Tohru Adachi?” Yukiko asked, sharing a look with Kanji. “He’s a detective right? Detective Dojima’s partner.” She asked. Yu nodded. “When did he start working here?”

        “A few months ago, I think?” Yu wasn’t sure. Adachi was a part-timer, so it would make sense that they might not know he worked here at all. “If we could ask Hanamura-san, we could probably find out.”

        “What about Yosuke?” Everyone looked at the door to see Chie standing there with Teddie in sight. “He’s basically a mini manager.” She quipped playfully.

        “How is Yosuke-kun, Chie?” Yukiko inquired, a look of concern crossing her face. Chie’s smile faded and she looked at Yu.

        “He wants to talk to you, alone.” She said. Yu looked at the monitors and saw Yosuke pacing the stage. He pointed towards it as a question. “Your choice. If you want to talk here, or if you want to talk out there, he’d be more comfortable out there.” She pointed out helpfully. Yu nodded once and got up, stretching.

        “Can I ask you guys to monitor the monitors and power supply? Call me if something seems off. And don’t switch the feeds too much, that eats up the power.” They nodded collectively and Yu took a deep breath before walking out of the office. His footsteps echoed off of the bare walls. Suddenly, a feeling of anxiety flooded into him. He struggled to fight it down and relax. Even when he saw Yosuke, eyes normal, muttering, and wearing the stage down with his pacing, he couldn’t fully relax.

        Yu stopped around the corner and took methodic deep breaths. He needed to be calm and comfortable or else Yosuke would be prone to running away. Feeling relaxed enough to be believable, he stepped into the main room. Yosuke didn’t notice him right away, but soon enough the boy stopped pacing and hesitantly looked at the approaching teenager.

        “You wanted to talk?” Yu asked a safe distance away. He didn’t want to crowd him, and part of him didn’t want to get too close. He didn’t like that part of him right now, but understood why it existed. Yosuke cleared his throat, but didn’t talk right away.

        “...Yeah. I just- See, I can’t- we can’t control what we do when the power-” He stopped and chuckled lightly. “The others probably already told you.” He scratched the back of his head. “I want to apologize for… that.” He choked out the last word, his voice cracking. Yu knew what he meant and took a step forward. Yosuke took a step back. “I don’t want you to not help us because of that. That wouldn’t be fair to the others, and-” He looked into his eyes. “I guess, since you came back for another night, you aren’t giving up on us.”

        “Once I promise something, I don’t break that promise.” Yu said quietly. “I promised to help you guys and break this curse, in any way that I can. I understand the risks better now, and I take part of the blame for what happened. If I hadn’t left the office, or if I had stationed someone in there while I was out, that probably wouldn’t have happened. I’m sorry.” They held each other’s gaze for a moment before they started laughing.

        “I was going to argue with you, but I think it’s better this way.” Yosuke said after the laughter had died down. “We should have told you what could happen on the first night. We were scared that you would run away if we had. This way, we share the blame.” They shared a smile, a faint bond forming between them. Something almost tangible. Something that Yu could almost feel.

        “Should we get back to the others?” Yosuke asked.

        “Actually, can I ask you something?” Yu stepped forward so that they were closer. This time, Yosuke didn’t back up.

        “You kinda just did.” He pointed out jokingly. Yu let out a laugh and shook his head.

        “Tohru Adachi. Did he start working here around the time you guys ended up like this?” The mood turned serious suddenly. Yosuke put a hand to his chin, thinking.

        “...You know what? I think so. A week before the incident, Adachi-san came to my parents looking for part-time work, and they hired him within a few days. Detective work doesn’t pay what it used to since this town is so peaceful must be.” Yosuke provided the information, taking a few paces forward. “Why?” He questioned, a look of apprehension in his eyes.

        “I think he’s the most likely culprit.” Yu confessed. “I haven’t got any solid evidence yet, but I think he snuck back in and drained the power supply last night, and I think he was the one who activated this curse.” He waited for Yosuke’s reaction.

        “...” He took a long time to answer. “It’s too obvious.”

        “I know.” Yu said quickly, rushing forward a few paces. There was barely a few feet between them now. “And I need to know for sure, so I need help thinking of a plan to catch him or whoever it is that is doing this.” He was asking Yosuke for help when he was supposed to be helping them.

        “Well…” Yosuke trailed off, thinking. He turned slowly and started pacing. “Here’s something we could do. It would require someone to stand guard at both the back exit and the front entrance though. None of us could do so, if we stand in the lobby, there’s a chance someone passing by might see us. Assuming people roam around Inaba between midnight and six a.m.” Yu shrugged. He’s snuck out and took a walk at three a.m. once. “And the other one would have to stand outside and inside. One of us could do that, but we’d have to have someone outside too.” He looked at Yu. “Narukami-san, do you have anyone who could help us?”

        It wasn’t that Yu didn’t immediately think of his uncle, but he just didn’t know how he’d get his help. He was already suspicious of his job, and it would only take a few more things before Dojima would try and stop him from working there. He loved his uncle, but having an Overprotective Detective for a Guardian had its drawbacks.

        “Yeah… My uncle could probably help. We’d also need someone to man the office- or, wait, no. If there’s someone stationed by the exit near the office, that should be fine. I can lock down the office again.” Yu reasoned out loud. Yosuke stopped pacing.

        “Are we even sure that locking it up takes none of the power?” He asked timidly. Yu nodded.

        “I double checked with your parents. And… yes, they know what happened.” He said finally. Yosuke seemed to pale at that. Yu moved closer, in fear of him suddenly collapsing or something. He didn’t know what to expect.

        “... When they learned about what happened to us if that happened, they were terrified. I don’t blame them, I’m scared of myself.” Yosuke said quietly, drawing into himself, making himself seem smaller. “I don’t know why it doesn’t affect Teddie. No one does, not even him. It was a nasty shock for him when it first happened. We found him huddled in a corner after the main power switched back on. I will never forget the fear in his eyes. Not just his, but all the other night guards… and yours.”

        The silence that hung in the air after he stopped talking was heavy. The others more than likely feel the same way. More afraid of themselves and what the future brings than of the people who come here, and even the person who’s been sneaking in. Yu closed the remaining gap between them and put a hand gently on his shoulder. Yosuke flinched at his touch, but didn’t move away. Yu learned the first night that Yosuke missed human contact the most during this time.

        The urge to hug him almost overcame him, but Yu backed away when he heard steps coming from the hallway. The two met the others halfway.

        “It’s almost six.” Naoto explained when they got close. Yu breathed a sigh of a relief. “Nothing strange happened with the power. It’s at thirty percent right now.” That was still too low to be natural, unless the amount that each appliance drained naturally was different from machine to machine, which was the case most of the time.

        “I guess I should head back there then.” Yu said walking past the crowd of teenagers. “I’ll see you guys tomorrow.” He bid them goodbye. They waved and reciprocated the promise of tomorrow. Yosuke looked hesitant, but hung back with his friends to get ready for the day. Yu got into the office and sat down heavily. He was tired. He also couldn’t believe he spent a good three hours speaking with Yosuke. Time was a weird concept. It was like it somehow went faster here than it did outside, but that couldn't be. There was no way.

        He waited until it was six, the same school bell chiming in the distance. He left the office and went out the back again, growing more tired when he saw his uncle’s car pull into the lot. He opened the passenger side door and got in.

        “... How was it?” His uncle asked, watching Yu buckle in.

        “... It was alright. Not much happened.” He said. He waited a few moments while his uncle started driving away from the restaurant before speaking again. “Can I ask you for a favor?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for reading, leaving Kudos, and Commenting!  
> This is my first fic on this site, and I didn't know what to expect.  
> Reading those comments made my day, really!  
> Thank you all for being supportive!
> 
> Night Four is scheduled to be released on September 1st.
> 
>  
> 
> The cat mentioned in the beginning is a tribute to my late cat. She was my best friend and would always yell at me whenever I stayed up too late, just like Morgana in Persona 5. So, I decided that she would live on as a comfort figure in Narukami's life.
> 
> Also, Adachi. When I first planned this, I had pegged Adachi as the Culprit, but, now, I'm not so sure. I would appreciate thoughts and opinions on this topic, if possible. 
> 
> One of these days I'll write a good mystery and the culprit won't be blatantly obvious.

**Author's Note:**

> So... This is the Persona 4 X FNAF crossover NO ONE ASKED FOR! Exciting, is it not?
> 
> I started this in 2016 and the chapters have been so spaced out so there's only three right now while the Fourth is in the works.  
> I plan on having Seven Nights, and an epilogue.  
> And yeah, Souyo (rather... Yusuke lol) is gonna happen. Just you wait.


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